NURTURING TODAY’S YOUNG PEOPLE, INSPIRING TOMORROW’S LEADERS
PROSPECTUS
WELCOME
At Barkerend Primary Leadership Academy, we work constantly to improve the educational experiences we provide for our pupils and have high expectations of everyone in school – an approach welcomed and supported by our parents. Language development is a key focus at Barkerend and we aim to develop children who are effective communicators, capable of building positive relationships and becoming successful lifelong learners and leaders. In accordance with our mission to promote educational excellence, character development and service to communities, we ensure our pupils develop essential academic skills and prioritise the development of well-rounded individuals through participation in community, cultural and sports activities. By providing outstanding pastoral support, we strive to nurture confident, healthy and well-balanced young people who are ambassadors for our Star values of Service, Teamwork, Ambition and Respect. Barkerend is part of Star Academies - one of the UK’s leading education providers - and we benefit from the expertise, collaborative approaches and comprehensive support that have enabled Star to deliver outstanding results across the country. The staff, governors and children are very proud of our school and its outstanding Ofsted status awarded in May 2019. We hope that this prospectus will give you a flavour of our positive learning environment and ethos.
ANN WINTER PRINCIPAL
VISION, MISSION & ACADEMY VISION Nurturing today’s young people, inspiring tomorrow’s leaders
ACADEMY MISSION To promote a culture of educational excellence, within a caring and secure environment enriched with the values of discipline, mutual care and respect, which extends beyond the academy into the wider community
OUR MISSION HAS THREE ELEMENTS
EDUCATIONAL EXCELLENCE
CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT
SERVICE TO COMMUNITIES
Excellence is achieved through high quality teaching of a knowledge-based, high-powered, academic curriculum, with the right support provided at the right time for the right children.
Our excellent pastoral care will boost children’s emotional and physical health, fostering their resilience and self-esteem so that they can enjoy life, find their talents and grow into responsible citizens.
We value parents as key partners in their children’s education and ensure that we engage with them, respect their perspective and support their aspirations.
We will enhance the life chances of our pupils by enabling them to achieve great outcomes that will open future doors.
Inclusion is at the heart of all we do. We challenge stereotypes, champion those who are disadvantaged or who have special educational needs/disabilities and provide positive, memorable experiences so that pupils look back on their school days with pride and warmth.
We will find the best ways of supporting the communities who entrust their children’s education to us, modelling social enterprise through our leadership specialism and ensuring that Star and its pupils make a positive difference in the local neighbourhood.
VALUES ACADEMY VALUES Our STAR values are at the heart of everything we do.
S
T A R
SERVICE
TEAMWORK
AMBITION
RESPECT
Being a responsible citizen in our community
Working together for excellence
Aspiring to be our best
Treating others as we wish to be treated
ACADEMY PRIORITIES Our three priorities are: Keeping our pupils safe, happy and well Achieving and sustaining excellence Building a strong Star community
STAR PLEDGE OF
Pupils’ academic success was because of the outstanding teaching, learning and assessment at the school and the positive learning attitudes of pupils.” OFSTED, MAY 2019
EXCELLENCE We will ensure an inclusive school culture in which your child can focus on learning, thrive personally, socially and academically and grow into a respectful, confident British citizen
We will deliver a high-powered, knowledge-based academic curriculum with a strong core of literacy, numeracy, and digital education which prepares your child for the next stage in their education and future career
We will provide your child with excellent teaching from well-qualified, well-trained and motivated staff who continue to benefit from high quality professional development
We will challenge your child to achieve the best possible standards, and support them using evidence-based interventions if they fall behind
We will engage your child in a rich and diverse leadership programme that grows character and inspires charitable and social action
We will invite, listen and respond to your feedback so that we can work in partnership to ensure your child is happy at school and achieves their best
PLEDGE ONE
We will ensure an inclusive school culture in which your child can focus on learning, thrive personally, socially and academically and grow into a respectful, confident British citizen. TRANSITION
PASTORAL CARE
Starting school is a major milestone in any child’s life and we work hard to make the transition process as smooth as possible. We build strong, supportive relationships with parents from the outset, through which we learn about children’s individual needs and interests. Partnership between school and parents is key to children’s happiness and success at every stage of their journey with us.
We will provide excellent pastoral care to help your child throughout their time at our school. Our teachers and support staff work closely together to ensure that school is a warm, happy, supportive environment in which children flourish. We take care to meet children’s individual needs.
Children are invited to spend some time in school prior to joining so that they can see what we have to offer, be reassured and excited by the prospect of school and get to know the staff who will nurture, teach and support them.
We work hard to help our pupils to lead healthy lifestyles and develop emotional wellbeing and resilience. A range of activities take place during the year which involve children working together in teams, boosting their sense of identity and belonging.
BEHAVIOUR FOR LEARNING We know that a calm, orderly and friendly environment enables pupils to learn well. We have high expectations of behaviour. Our rules are fair, straightforward and applied equally everyone. All our pupils are taught how to ‘Behave like a Star’ and we reward them for doing so. We take a zero-tolerance approach to bullying and disruptive or hurtful behaviour. impacts on attainment.
PLEDGE ONE
ATTENDANCE
SAFEGUARDING
We place a high value on daily attendance. Every lesson counts on your child’s journey through their school career and the evidence is clear that avoidable absence impacts on attainment. We celebrate 100% attendance through our Star Rewards programme.
The safety of your child is our paramount concern. All our staff are appointed following careful recruitment processes and are trained in safeguarding. We teach our pupils how to stay safe including when they are online. We ensure that all pupils know how to report any concerns.
INCLUSION Our school is inclusive. We have high expectations of all pupils, matched with high levels of support. We liaise with nursery colleagues and private/voluntary providers so that we have a good understanding of children’s profiles before they join us. We provide tailored support to pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities to help them flourish. We build excellent relationships with parents and external agencies to ensure that provision is as strong as possible.
WELLBEING We pay particular attention to developing children’s emotional wellbeing and physical health through an exciting range of extra-curricular activities as well as through our subject teaching. Pupils take part in indoor and outdoor sports and are encouraged to pursue their creative talents through our clubs which cater for a wide range of interests. Several staff are trained mental health first aiders who offer support to children.
PLEDGE TWO
We will deliver a high-powered, knowledge-based academic curriculum with a strong core of literacy, numeracy, and digital education which prepares your child for the next stage in their education and future career. CURRICULUM
READING
Children follow the early years foundation stage curriculum until the end of Reception year. This includes communication and language, physical development, personal social and emotional development, literacy, mathematics, understanding the world and expressive arts and design. The curriculum is designed to spur children’s interest and independence.
We aim for all our pupils to become fluent, confident readers who enjoy and learn from a wide range of books and digital texts. Our children follow the Read Write Inc programme, through which they secure the phonic knowledge that forms a secure foundation for their development as readers. Reading is taught every day and is a key element of lessons across the range of subjects. In addition, we expect that all children throughout school will read at home every day. We support parents to make home reading enjoyable and effective. Our Star Readers programme ensures that all pupils read high quality literature that expands their vocabulary. We intervene swiftly and sensitively to support any child who falls behind in their reading.
Children are assessed using the national early learning goals. Reception teachers make assessments based on their observations of children’s classroom learning: there is no formal testing. Our curriculum includes all the subjects of the national curriculum at key stages 1 and 2 (English, mathematics, science, art and design, computing, design and technology, geography, history, languages, music, physical education). All pupils follow a religious studies course based on the local agreed syllabus. The curriculum is enriched by visitors, visits and practical experiences that keep learning vibrant and relevant. Our pupils complete national end of key stage assessments in Years 2 and 6.
NUMERACY Pupils’ numeracy skills are developed sequentially through the mathematics curriculum. From the outset, children are encouraged to have fun using numbers and to learn through interactive approaches before formal methods are introduced. We aim for all children to understand the language of mathematics and become proficient in solving problems through having sound, secure knowledge of basic operations.
DIGITAL SKILLS In an increasingly digital age, we aim for our pupils to be digitally literate and able to keep themselves safe in an online environment. We will show pupils how to use ageappropriate online resources and build their knowledge of how to use technology responsibly.
PHYSICAL EDUCATION We encourage our pupils to lead healthy lifestyles in which regular exercise is a key component. Our PE curriculum introduces a range of team games and individual fitness programmes that help pupils to develop physical stamina, positive attitudes and leadership skills. Our clubs include physical activity and sports.
PSHE AND CITIZENSHIP We help our children to develop as young British citizens and teach them the importance of building and maintaining healthy relationships.
BUILDING CULTURAL CAPITAL We support our pupils’ development of cultural capital through a range of visits and experiences beyond the classroom. Our focus is on making learning vibrant, relevant and captivating. We have built relationships with a range of local and national services to give our pupils opportunities to explore their own and others’ heritage.
PLEDGE THREE
We will provide your child with excellent teaching from well-qualified, welltrained and motivated staff who continue to benefit from high quality professional development. Our teachers are well-qualified subject experts who are trained to understand the most effective ways of helping children to learn. Their lessons are skilfully structured and well-paced, with emphasis placed on pupils’ acquisition of knowledge. They use high quality resources developed collaboratively and quality assured by experts across the trust. Lessons start promptly and include good opportunities for pupils to share their ideas. Independent tasks are designed to build upon the learning that has taken place in class. Support assistants make a valuable contribution by making lessons inclusive for all pupils. Our classrooms are welcoming, well equipped and carefully maintained. Remote teaching is provided for any pupil who is absent from school but well enough to learn. It is also immediately available to pupils in the case of unavoidable school closure during term time. Some after-school intervention and enrichment sessions are also delivered online.
The rich and varied curriculum is exceptionally well planned to develop pupils’ passion for learning. It leads to outstanding academic outcomes and ensures that pupils are extremely well prepared for secondary school.” “Teachers are highly skilled in supporting pupils to make very strong progress.” “The behaviour of pupils is outstanding… they listen attentively, concentrate fully and work productively with each other and with staff. Pupils are highly motivated to do the best that they can.” OFSTED, MAY 2019
PLEDGE FOUR
In 2022 90% of pupils achieved the expected standard in Maths, 95% achieved the expected standard in Reading and 79% achieved the expected standard in Writing.
We will challenge your child to achieve the best possible standards, and support them using evidence-based interventions if they fall behind. ASSESSMENT During lessons, teachers continually check that pupils understand the concepts that they are being taught. Lessons often start with ‘do now activities’ that engage pupils with the subject as they recall previously taught content. At the end of lessons ‘exit tickets’ are used (either in writing or verbally) to check that the pupils are on track. Teachers gauge pupils’ understanding through low-stakes quizzes and through their marking of work. At the end of each unit of work, pupils complete an assessment that gives the teacher a clear view of how much knowledge they have retained. Teachers provide lots of support and encouragement to take away any fear of assessment.
INTERVENTION Teachers pitch learning high and support any pupils who require additional help, through interventions and approaches that are tried and tested. Pupils may be invited to attend additional tuition sessions at lunchtime or outside normal . These sessions are always offered as a supportive measure to meet individual needs.
PLEDGE FIVE
We will engage your child in a rich and diverse leadership programme that grows character and inspires charitable and social action. Our Rising Stars programme introduces pupils to the work of impactful historical and contemporary social leaders. In our quest to inspire tomorrow’s leaders we provide leadership opportunities that develop pupils’ character and spur their ambition to make a positive difference within their local community and on a wider scale. All our pupils are encouraged to show leadership in different situations in order to develop civic, moral and performance virtues. They do this through our five leadership foundations: sport, creativity, performing arts, enterprise and careers, and charity and social action. Our Star Diplomas recognise pupils’ charitable work. We participate in cross-trust competitions and challenges and develop partnerships with businesses to support extended projects and work experience. Pupils are encouraged to excel in the arts, including by creating, producing and performing their own work.
PLEDGE SIX
We will invite, listen and respond to your feedback so that we can work in partnership to ensure your child is happy at school and achieves their best. You are your child’s first educator. We will communicate with you regularly throughout your child’s time with us. We will keep you updated on your child’s progress via half-termly progress cards, annual reports and parents’ evenings. Half-termly reviews take place for children who may need extra support to meet their targets. If your child has special educational needs and/or disabilities, we will involve you in regular reviews of their individual plans. If you wish to raise any matters, we will listen and respond. We survey the opinions of all parents annually and use this feedback to help us improve our provision. Parents are invited to social events and charitable activities throughout the year and we hope that these help you to feel fully included in the life of the school.
NURSERY
OUR ACADEMY The Academy currently runs a 78-place nursery, which caters for 39 pupils during the morning session and 39 pupils during the afternoon session. Our nursery pupils have the choice of attending a morning session, which runs from 8.30am-11.30am, or an afternoon session, which runs from 12.15pm-3.15pm. Our nursery offers a high quality early years provision with a personalised approach. Through our fun, engaging and creative curriculum, we ensure all of the children in our care work towards successfully achieving the Early Learning Goals and are wellprepared to make the transition to primary school. Our play-based curriculum covers the seven fundamental areas of learning identified by the Department for Education and will help all children develop key literacy, numeracy, personal and social skills, as well as a positive and proactive approach to learning.
SITE AND FACILITIES THE ACADEMY DAY
UNIFORM
ADMISSIONS
School begins at 8.30am and finishes at 3.00pm.
The academy uniform is designed to reinforce our spirit of excellence. It is smart, practical and durable, designed to convey a professional and business-like image.
The academy will operate inclusive admissions arrangements. All applications will be considered equally in line with published criteria.
CATERING
There are 60 Reception places available.
Academy meals ensure our pupils are getting all the nutrients they need to be able to learn. All food provided meets national nutritional standards to ensure that our children are provided with a healthy, balanced diet.
We strongly encourage those who are interested in securing a place at the academy to attend one of our open evenings. Dates of events will be published on the academy website.
Our Breakfast Club is open daily from 7.45am to meet the needs of today’s busy parents. We encourage all pupils to work towards 100% attendance and set a minimum attendance target of 97% per year. Excellent attendance is celebrated and recognised on a regular basis, particularly during our end-of-term awards assembly.
TERM DATES The academy will consult on the school calendar on a yearly basis but intends to operate the normal three terms per annum to fit in with Bradford City Council’s holiday pattern and minimise disruption, particularly to parents and teachers with children in other local schools.
Families applying should name Barkerend Primary Leadership Academy on their council’s Common Application Form. Full details can be found on our academy website.
STAR
ACADEMIES Star Academies is a mixed multi-academy trust that runs a diverse network of primary and secondary schools. We are a values-based organisation, committed to enhancing social mobility. All our efforts are geared towards raising the aspirations of children and young people in areas of social and economic deprivation to improve their life chances and help them succeed at the highest levels of education, employment and the professions. Star Academies is one of the country’s leading education providers, and our schools promote excellence in everything they do. In every school, the entire staff team – working in partnership with parents and the local community – is committed to nurturing today’s young people and inspiring tomorrow’s leaders. Our schools work together as Star Partnerships in five cluster areas – Lancashire, Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire, the Midlands and London. Schools within the Partnerships collaborate to share expertise and maximise opportunities and experiences for our pupils. Star Academies employs the very best staff and invests heavily in their continuing professional development. Staff benefit from an extensive range of nationally accredited training.
A MESSAGE FROM THE
CHIEF EXECUTIVE
Choosing the best primary school to start your child’s education is a crucial decision There are many factors to consider when selecting a school that will provide your child with a great education in a supportive and caring environment. I hope that this prospectus will provide you with all the information you need to make an informed decision about this major milestone of your child’s life. Barkerend Primary Leadership Academy is part of Star Academies. We are one of the leading providers of education in the country, with an established reputation for academic excellence. At Star Academies, it is our mission to create outstanding schools that deliver the very best education to young people. Our culture is one of aspiration and high expectations. Every child’s educational journey is of paramount importance to us and we take seriously our responsibility to shape their future life chances. The Star family – pupils, parents, staff, governors and partners – is united in the pursuit of excellence that is realised in every child’s opportunity to succeed. We also want all our young people to enjoy their
school life, benefit from our vibrant extra-curricular programme and relish the leadership opportunities we provide. We are a values-based organisation, driven by a sense of greater social purpose. Our vision of ‘ nurturing today’s young people, inspiring tomorrow’s leaders’ is at the heart of all we do. We passionately believe that schools have a transformational impact on society and we have seen the difference that a rounded, high quality educational experience can make to individuals and communities. Thank you for considering Barkerend Primary Leadership Academy.
SIR HAMID PATEL CBE CHIEF EXECUTIVE, STAR ACADEMIES
Barkerend Primary Leadership Academy | Hendford Drive, Pollard Park, Bradford BD3 0QT 01274 773003 | info@barkerend.staracademies.org | barkerendprimary.com